Terrestrial orrery.



G. SHELDON.

TERRESTRIAL ORRERY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1911.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

WW WM G. SHELDON.

TERRESTRIAL ORRERY.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29, 1911.

1 050 044 Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. SHELDON.

TERRESTRIAL ORRERY. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1911.

1,050,044. Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

O. SHELDON.

TERRESTRIAL ORRERY. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1911.

1,050,044. Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. Y

c LUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cO..'wA5l-|1NOTON. D. c.

STATS QFFTQ TEBBESTRIAL OBREBY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1913.

Application filed June 29, 1911. Serial No. 635,963.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES SHELDON, a subject of the King of the UnitedKingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Brisbane, Queensland,Commonwealth of Australia, have invented new and useful Improvements inTerrestrial Orreries, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a terrestrial orrery, the objects being toautomatically produce a representation of the motions of the earth andmoon in their orbits around the sun, to demonstrate the varyingpositions of the orbs, to show day and night, the lengthening andshortening of days, the seasons, the apparent track of the sun fromtropic to tropic, the lunations of the moon, the solar and lunareclipses, the aphelion and perihelion of the earth and apogee andperigee of the moon, all in their true order and at their true relativepositions in the heavens.

The invention consists of a metal ring mounted upon a stand forming therunning bed or plane. The ring is provided with teeth for engaging witha toothed pinion on a carriage containing trains of wheels operated byclockwork. To this carriage is fixed a ball representing the earth and aball representing the moon which travels around the bed or plane. In thecenter of the bed is a pedestal supporting a ball representing the sunor a lamp used in dark room. This center standard is connected by a rodto the carriage and revolves as the carriage travels around the ringthus concentrating the light from the lamp upon the balls representingthe earth and moon.

To fully describe the invention I will now refer to the drawings inwhich Figure 1, is a general transverse elevation, with lamp Shown fordark room demonstration. Fig. 2 is an elevation of center pedestal withmodel of sun for day light demonstration. Fig. 3 is a general plan Viewof the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of carriage and gear.Fig. 5 is a detail of cannon wheel and spring bush. Fig. 6 is a top planview of the carriage. Fig. 7 is va side elevation of carriage and gear.Fig. 8 illustrates the weight employed; and, Fig. 9 is a plan view ofthe carriage with top plate removed.

Referring to the construction in detail, F is a ring or track providedwith teeth on its inner edge, mounted on a bed'plate F which isconnected by spokes R to a hub H. An arc of the track F is shown in Fig.3. On to the hub H is fixed a pedestal P carrying a spindle P adapted torotate in the pedestal.

A. is a rod connecting together the spindle P and the traveling carriageC containing trains of wheels more particularly described hereafter. Alamp L for'dark room illustrations is mounted on the spindle P and turnstherewith through the travel of the carriage. In place of the lamp L aball S may be used as for instance in day light dem0nstrations. Saidball S is mounted on a wire orPbar W which is secured to the spindle Cis the top plate of the carriage C and C the bottom plate between whichare contained the trains of wheels.

C is a plate fixed to the carriage and on to which the connecting rod Ais mounted, and C is a stop lever.

B is a clock spring, B the winding spindle thereof, 13 a ratchet wheel,and B a pawl for engaging said ratchet wheel.

13* is a toothed wheel driven by the spring fixed to B engaging with apinion D that is fixed to a spindle D Said spindle D is integral withatoothed wheel D which engages with a pinion G, and the pinion Gr isintegral with a toothed wheel G fixed to a spindle G The wheel G engageswith a pinion I on the main spindle T The pinion I is integral with atoothed wheel I which engages with a pinion J that is fixed to a spindleJ Secured to the spindle J is a toothed wheel J engaging with a pinion Kthat is fixed to a spindle K and to which is also fixed a governor wheelK that cooperates with a pal let N. The pinion I on the main spindle Ialso engages with a toothed wheel 0 on a spindle O that is integral witha pinion O Said pinion 0 engages with a toothed wheel Q, fixed to aspindle Q which extends through the top plate C and on to which is fixeda pinion Q? that engages with a toothed carrier wheel T. This completesthe train from the main spindle I to the carrier wheel T which makes onerevolution while the carriage C makes one circuit of the metal ring FThe spindle O extends through the bottom plate O of the carriage andfixed thereto is a pinion O which engages with the teeth of the trackand causes the carriage to travel around the ring F This completes thetrain to and including the ring F On the main spindle I is a crank Iengaging with a slot in a disk I fixed to a spindle 1 The spindle I issupported by a bracket T that is mounted on the toothed carrier wheel T,said spindle I disposed on an incline relatively to said carrier wheel.The spindle I is bored in the center to carry a wire Vi which supports aball E representing the earth. This completes the train to the globe E.Fixed also to the spindle I is a pinion I which engages with a toothedwheel I fixed to a spindle I Said spindle I has fixed thereon a pinion Iwhich engages with a toothed wheel 1 fixed to a collar I and said collarI runs tree upon the spindle i which is shouldered below the collar.

1 is a split spring bush, which fits tightly on collar 1 to which ispivoted a bifurcated rod I provided with a roller I that travels aroundupon a ring T Said ring T is attached to the bracket T which completesthe train to the ball 4C Iv/[.77

To the end of the rod 1 is suitably fixed a wire i l to which isattached a ball M representing the moon.

To each end of the carriage C on the underside of the plate C is fixed abracket C carrying a spindle 1 and a roller 2. Said rollers 2 areadapted to travel on the track F (See Figs. 1 and 7). Attached to thetop plate C of the carriage is an arm having a pin C for stopping theaction of the pallet N and arresting the movement of the whole of themechanism.

Fig. 8 represents a weight for inserting in the ring of the pallet arm Nfor controlling the speed of its movements.

E is a ring of wire with a circular bow at right angles thereto formedwith a cup E at its center for hanging on wire V illustrating thevertical of the sun upon the earths surface at all periods of the year,termed the tropical indicator.

In using the invention the carriage is mounted upon the track F and themotor wound, and the carriage while making one revolution around thetrack causes the mechanism to operate in the following order Theterrestrial globe of the orrery makes scorer,- revolutions upon its axisrepresenting 365%.; days (which is an error in shortage of true time ofof a day which could be mechanically corrected by a device that it hasnot been thought necessary to include). As the earth makes one morerevolution upon its axis than the number of days recorded by time, sofor every day produced by the diurnal motion of the earth, the orb makesi ag revolutions. This is in consequence of any given meridian of theearth to be opposite the sun, at any point in the orbit, it must ofnecessity be brought around to face the radius of the circle of theorbit as the globe moves around the orbit. During one circuit of theterrestrial globe E around its orbit, the lunar globe M makes 13%circuits around the globe E thus producing 12% new moons during onetravel of the carriage C around the plane F the extra revolution beingnecessary for the same reason as cited above. The. positions calledaphelion and perihelion are produced by the perpetual inclination of theglobe E as it is nearer to the sun when leaning within the circle of thetrack E than when leaning away from. the circle at the opposite point ofthe orbit. T he globe E during the circuit is continually receding fromor approaching toward the solar center S while in motion around the bed,causing the equinoxes to occur in proper order. The lunar globe M duringits circuit around the globe E approaches nearest thereto at its highestelevation and then recedes therefrom, until at its lowest elevation itis at its greatest distance trom the globe E thus demonstrating theapogee and perigee of the moon and all the varying distances. By thecombined movements of the globe E and the globe M the lunations of themoon and all its phases are demonstrated in conjunction with the solarcenter, also the solar and lunar eclipses both partial and total in theorder in which they occur in the heavens. The tropical indicator Ethrows (in conjunction with the light trom the lamp L a shadow line onthe globe E which travels from tropic to tropic during the circuit ofthe carriage G around the track F and illustrates continuously theapparent track and vertical or the sun during the year.

hat I claim is 1. In a terrestrial orrery, the combination of a fixedcircular track provided with an annular rack; a device representing thesun mounted centrally of said track; a carriage mounted to travel onsaid track and connected to rotate the sun representing device; aspindle journaled on said carriage; a carrier wheel; a bracket mountedon said carrier wheel; a spindle jo-urnaled on said bracket and disposedon an incline relatively to the carrier wheel; connect-ions be tweensaid carriage spindle and said inclined spindle; a sphere representingthe earth mounted on said inclined spindle; a sphere representing themoon; a bar connecting said sphere representing the moon with saidinclined spindle; said moon representing device operable to describe itslunations around the sphere representing the earth; a spring motormounted on said carriage; gearing connections between said motor andsaid carriage spindle and .gear ing connections between the carriagespindle, the carrier wheel, and the rack of the track, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a terrestrial orrery, the combination of a fixed circular trackprovided with an annular rack; a device representing the sun mountedcentrally of said track; a carriage mounted to travel on said track andconnected to rotate the sun representing device; a spindle journaled onsaid carriage; a carrier wheel; a bracket mounted on said carrier wheel;a spindle journaled on said bracket and disposed on an inclinerelatively to said carrier wheel; connections between said carriagespindle and said inclined spindle; a sphere representing the earthmounted on said inclined spindle; a sphere representing the moon; a barconnecting said sphere representing the moon with said inclined spindle,said moon representing device operable to describe its lunations aroundthe sphere representing the earth; a spring motor mounted on saidcarriage; a train gearing between said carriage spindle and said springmotor; a second and a third spindle journaled on said carriage; gearingconnections bet-ween said second and third spindles and said carriagespindle; a pinion on the third spindle meshing with said carrier wheel,and a pinion mounted on said second spindle and meshing with the rack ofthe track, sub stantially as described.

3. In a terrestrial orrery, the combination of a fixed circular trackprovided with an annular rack; a device representing the sun mountedcentrally of said track; a carriage mounted to travel on said track andconnected to rotate the sun representing de vice; a spindle journaled onsaid carriage; a carrier wheel; a bracket mounted on said carrier wheel;a spindle journaled on said bracket and disposed on an inclinerelatively to said carrier wheel; connections between said carriagespindle and said inclined spindle; a sphere representing the earthmounted on said inclined spindle; a sphere representing the moon; a barconnecting said sphere representing the moon with said inclined spindle,said moon representing device operable to describe its lunations aroundthe sphere representing the earth; a spring motor mounted on saidcarriage; a pinion connected to be driven from said spring motor; arelatively larger pinion secured to said pinion; a relatively smallerpinion meshing with said larger pinion; a pinion secured to the thirdnamed pinion; a pinion mounted on the carriage spindle, and meshing withthe fourth named pinion; a second spindle journaled on said carriage;intermeshing pinions mounted on said carriage and second spindlesrespectively; gearing connections between the carriage spindle and saidcarrier wheel; and a pinion meshing with the rack of said track, andmounted on said second spindle, substantially as described.

4. In a terrestrial orrery, the combination of a fixed circular trackprovided with an annular rack; a device representing the sun mountedcentrally of said track; a carriage mounted to travel on said track andconnected to rotate the sun representing device; a spindle journaled onsaid carriage; a carrier wheel; a bracket mounted on said carrier wheel;a spindle journaled on said bracket and disposed on an inclinerelatively to said carrier wheel; a sphere representing the earthmounted on said inclined spindle; a second spindle journaled on saidbracket; a sleeve mounted on said inclined spindle; intermeshing pinionsconnecting the inclined spindle with said sleeve through said secondspindle on said bracket; an inclined and annular track mounted on saidbracket;an arm mounted to travel on said inclined track, and having aloose connection with the sleeve on said inclined spindle; a sphererepresenting the moon; a bar connecting said sphere representing themoon with said arm; a spring motor mounted on the carriage; gearingconnections between said carriage and the rack of the track; and drivingconnections between said spring motor, the carriage spindle, the carrierwheel, and said track gearing connection, substantially as described.

5. lhe combination with a terrestrial orrery having an illuminatingdevice representing the sun; a carriage operable to describe a circularpath around said sun representing device; a spindle mounted on anincline relatively to said carriage; a sphere representing the earthmounted on said spindle; means for actuating said spindle for impartingan elliptical path of movement to the sphere representing the earth; ofan annular member surrounding the sphere representing the earth, andcooper able with the sun device to produce a shadow on said earthrepresenting sphere; and a device for balancing said annular member onsaid inclined spindle, whereby the shadow line produced on the sphererepresenting the earth will indicate the tropical zones thereof,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES SHELDON.

Witnesses:

ELAN HILL, OLIVE K. ABELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

